


Scout's Honour

by mistresscurvy



Series: Underneath [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bondage, Established Relationship, M/M, Rope Bondage, Subspace, Undernegotiated Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 01:51:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1012609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistresscurvy/pseuds/mistresscurvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Are you sure this is how you want to practice?" Liam asked. Even as he asked he was already kneeling down, because if this was how the lads wanted to learn rope safety, he would oblige.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scout's Honour

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by the caption on [this picture](http://mistresscurvy.tumblr.com/post/62360712488/valencing-is-this-what-happens-when-liam-uses) (link contains a picture of a shirtless man in rope bondage) - the idea stuck in my head and I had to write this. There is a delightful anon tumblr fic [here](http://mistresscurvy.tumblr.com/post/63077236115/omg-i-have-the-best-nonnies-in-the-world-part-the) that was also written about the same picture, which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND AS WELL.
> 
> Thank you to harriet_vane and mere for the cheerleading, to lokte for the Britpick, and to olivia_circe for the excellent beta. ♥

"Are you sure this is how you want to practice?" Liam asked. Even as he asked he was already kneeling down, because if this was how the lads wanted to learn rope safety, he would oblige. It certainly wasn't the strangest thing they'd ever asked him to do.

To be honest, though, he wasn't entirely clear on why he needed to be shirtless and on his knees. 

"Of course we're sure. What's the point of practicing if it won't be fun?" Louis said, the rope sliding through his fingers. 

Why tying him up would be fun didn't make much sense to Liam, either, but he had long accepted that he and Louis, no matter how close they got, would always have slightly different opinions of what qualified as fun. He looked up at the other lads, expecting that at least Zayn would be bored already, probably sitting on one of the two double beds and reading something. But instead all three of them were focused on Liam, Niall holding an iPad and Harry his camera. "Are we taking pictures?" Liam asked. 

"Might do," Harry answered, as Louis moved so that he was behind Liam. "If that's alright with you."

"Course it is, just don't know what'll be so interesting about it," Liam said. 

"Ah, Liam, you may know a lot of knots, but there's still so much to learn," Louis said. Before Liam could protest that he wasn't quite as naive as he once was, thanks, Louis continued, "Niall, bring the iPad here, I want to check something."

"Are you starting with the bowline? That's a good one," Liam said, twisting around so he could try to see. 

"Stop moving, Payno," Louis commanded, both of his hands tugging Liam's arms together behind his back. Liam felt the rope loop around his wrists.

"But how can I help, then, if I can't see?" Liam protested, nevertheless turning forward as asked.

"By staying still, silly," Louis said quietly into his ear. 

Liam stopped moving. 

"Good," Zayn said. Liam looked up at him; he'd been so distracted by what Louis and Niall were doing behind him that he hadn't noticed Zayn getting closer. It was difficult to know what to pay attention to, the feeling of the rope twisting and looping around his wrists, or Zayn's hand carefully carding through his hair. "You okay?" Zayn asked, voice mild but serious, and Liam bit back the instinctive "Yes, of course," he almost always said in response to Zayn, and really thought about it for a moment. 

He swallowed, tried a smile. "They're going to make an awful mess of that rope, aren't they," he joked weakly instead of answering, his arms pulled back further. It wasn't a very good joke, not really funny at all, just the truth, but Zayn still smiled down at him, like he knew what Liam really meant. 

"Could be," he agreed, hand slipping down over Liam's bare shoulder, touch soft but confident. Zayn leaned in close, pressing a kiss to Liam's temple. "They could have hidden depths."

"And I've got a pair of scissors just in case," Harry added, lowering his camera for a moment and making a goofy face at Liam before bringing the viewfinder back up to his eye. 

There was a thought in that, the idea of needing scissors, something to put together, but between the feel of the rope slowly winding up his arms and the hushed murmurs of Niall and Louis behind him, he couldn't connect the dots at all. He knew the sounds of his bandmates' voices better than anything else, the cadence and rhythm of Niall's voice so different from Louis's, but he couldn't follow any of what they were saying. 

It didn't matter, anyway, because Zayn cupped his cheek and began to speak, and suddenly Liam didn't care about what anyone else might be saying at all. 

"You don't need to do anything, Liam," Zayn said, fingers cool and familiar stroking over his skin. "Just let them figure it out."

"It's good practice," Louis said from behind him, his voice suddenly clear and low in Liam's ear. "Only a first attempt, of course, but you need to have a next level to work toward, right Liam?" The rope snaked around his belly now, looping over and over again, and Liam shivered, the air suddenly cool on his bare skin. 

Liam knew that there were things he should be thinking about, considering, but he couldn't quite focus on them. Normally that would be terribly upsetting, but at the moment it was just soothing. Almost as soothing as the sound of the lads' voices above him, or the steady wrap of the rope up his torso. He let out a sigh when the rope was pulled back to his arms, twisting neatly below his elbows. 

"Good," Zayn breathed again, and Liam let his head turn into Zayn's hand, not at all sure what made him good but happy to let Zayn say that, if he wanted to. 

It was quiet and still in the room, not at all the typical echoing din that resulted from all of them hanging out together. He could hear the occasional click of Harry's camera, and it was a good thought, he realised, taking pictures of their work so that they could study the knots and make it better in the future. He was about to say that, admire Harry's forethought, when Zayn's hand slid around to the back of his neck just as the rope criss-crossed above his elbows, pulling his arms out away from his back. 

Tension he hadn't even known he was carrying suddenly released from his body. He wanted to help, somehow, but he couldn't do anything, could only let them hold him up. His next exhale left his lungs with a sharp punch, his chest shuddering, the rope around his stomach both a comfort and a bit scary. 

"Shhh, you're just fine," Zayn said. "Just breathe." He spoke so softly Liam had to focus hard to hear him. It was as if his entire world had narrowed down to the sound of his voice, and Liam took a deep breath and let it out slow, his shoulders floating back as he did. The rope against his belly moved with each inhalation of breath, like it was already a part of him, and there wasn't anything to be afraid of at all. Louis's hands were steady as they wrapped the length of the rope up around his biceps, every part of him caught up in the motion. 

It felt natural then to let his head drop further, his chin against his chest, releasing into the stretch. "Oh, love, that's it," Harry said from above him, and Liam's cheeks flushed hot at the praise. Niall's hands (or at least they felt like Niall's; he thought Louis's were the ones sweeping over his shoulders, Zayn's hands still in his hair) worked the rope around his chest, secure around the broadest part of his shoulders. Each tug reinforced his confinement in his mind, the heat in his cheeks spreading through his body. 

He wanted to stay like this forever, on his knees as the lads worked above him, more bits and pieces of conversations happening around him. For once he let himself float through it, didn't try to keep up with it all. Somehow he knew that if they needed his input they'd let him know. 

A few fingers ghosting over and then pinching at his nipples was enough of a cue. He nuzzled against the forearm next to his cheek and then bit the skin gently, hearing Louis swear above him in response. The sharper pull on his nipple was the real answer though, Liam gasping and swaying into Louis's hands. 

"There's a love," Louis said, but Liam's head was only aware of how his entire body suddenly seemed to spark at the touch. He was floating through sensations, skin prickling and alight, his dick pressed up hard against the front of his jeans. He hummed softly, letting his head fall down onto his chest again. 

There was the sound of the shutter going, again and again. "Beautiful shot," Harry said above him, his voice loud in Liam's ears. "Lou, move away to the side?"

One final sweep of his hand across Liam's chest and then Louis was gone, Liam suddenly touched by nothing but the rope for the first time since whatever this was began. It was impossible to imagine he was alone, though, with Harry commenting or hmm-ing after every shot. He knelt there patiently, waiting to be told what was next in this game. 

"Shame he can't see our work," Niall said from his left. Liam sighed and flexed his arms for a moment just to feel the rope contain him, the way the slight movement of his forearms caused the rope to tighten around his belly and biceps. It was tempting to test it more, pull against it again and again to feel it hold him, but he made himself hold still. 

A hand brushed over the back of his head, running through his hair and making him shiver. "Reckon if he turned a little, he could," Zayn said, his hand never stopping its movement over Liam's scalp. 

"He needs to check our work," Louis said, his fingers stroking down Liam's cheek until they caught under his chin. He moved with the slight pressure of Louis's fingers, blinking open his eyes, thankful for the low hotel room light. "You want to see yourself?"

Liam swallowed, his throat a bit dry, and then nodded slightly. He could tell that Louis wanted him to look at himself, and that was enough for him. 

"Go on, then," Niall said, pulling him back by his left shoulder just a bit, making Liam turn. "Let's take a look." 

Liam startled when he saw himself in the floor-length mirror on the wall, the stark contrast of the black rope against his skin. His mouth dropped, watching his chest expand against the rope with each breath in. 

"Quite the picture," Zayn said softly, and Liam looked at Zayn through the mirror, the quiet focus clear on his face. He could see Harry behind him, taking pictures of the knots, and Louis and Niall both standing to either side of him. It was hard to keep his attention on anything other than the way his chest looked bound by the rope though, his shoulders pulled back. The urge to turn away, hide his face from the sight, was matched only by the desire to never stop looking. 

"Such a pretty boy," Louis said, his voice low and a little scratchy, and Liam's hips jerked forward at the praise. His face felt hot again; he could see the colour in his cheeks in the mirror, and Louis's words were enough to make him drop his head again. He was rewarded by Louis's hand stroking across the nape of his neck, nails lightly scratching against his skin. 

"I think that's enough, lads," he heard Zayn say over the clicking of Harry's camera. He felt a set of hands fiddling with the ropes around his wrists, feeling down his hands and fingers, and he sighed at the attention. 

"Better start up top this time," Louis said, which didn't make sense until Liam felt the first loop of rope around his chest start to loosen, and then the entire house of cards began to collapse. He held his position though, held his arms and shoulders in place until the last knot around his wrists came undone, unwilling to let it go so easily. 

It took Harry saying, "Nice and easy, Liam," to make him release his shoulders again, rolling forward. It wasn't quite pins and needles, more an awareness through his entire body that something had happened here, like a workout he'd never done before and hadn't even known existed. He felt hands stroking over his arms, slowly smoothing them forward until they hung limply at his sides. It was slow and easy and yet he suddenly felt unmoored, his muscles unwilling or unable to support him any longer.

"Here we go," Niall said, catching him just before he could fall, all four of them helping him up onto the soft hotel bed. A pillow appeared under his head once he was on his side completely. His arms were folded in front of him, and he felt someone tug his jeans off altogether, leaving him just in his pants. Before he could think about that at all a blanket was covering his body, tucked in by the presence of the other four surrounding him on the bed.

He never quite fell asleep, the soft steady pressure of the lads' hands stroking down his side keeping him tethered just enough to reality. It still felt like a long time before his head was clear enough to press back, big toes pushing into someone's shins, his shoulder rolling back in response to a thumb finding a sore spot beneath his shoulder blade. 

"So tying knots, hmm?" he asked finally, his own voice a shock in his ears. 

"Your idea," Louis said immediately, directly across from him. 

Liam snorted, stretching his back as much as he could while being aggressively cuddled. "Yes, this is precisely what I had in mind."

"You did like it, though," Zayn said from behind him, just a hint of a question in the statement. 

Smiling, Liam turned his head back toward him a bit. "Yeah, I liked it."

"Good," Harry said, camera up again. Liam pulled a face for the picture before breaking into another smile. He felt tired in a good way, tired and energised at the same time, somehow. 

Louis's thigh nudging between his legs and pressing up at his half-hard dick reminded him of exactly how good he still felt. "Seems like you still like it," Louis said, rocking his hips against Liam's, and he did, he did like it, so much that he pressed back hard against Louis's thigh. 

Before he could find the actual words to ask for more, for anything at all, he felt the blanket being pulled off of him as all four of them released him from his little nest. From above him Niall said, "Haz, put down the camera," and he was happy someone else was paying attention to details like that. He was too busy focusing on Louis's fingers stripping off his briefs, Zayn's mouth brushing over his neck, faint puffs of air against his skin. Harry must have listened to Niall, because suddenly his hands were running through Liam's short hair and then tugging on it hard.

Liam gasped and arched hard in response just as Louis got a hand around his dick, wanking him for a moment before sucking him into his mouth. It was exactly what he had been waiting for without knowing it, Niall and Zayn and Harry all holding him still while Louis went down, nice and slow, before pulling back and starting again. He couldn't move, just had to take it as Louis worked him over, mouth breaking him apart. 

He couldn't stop gasping, wordless encouragement leaving his mouth every time Louis's tongue flicked up over the head of his dick, his body struggling to move with it. Niall's hands were holding him down so firmly he was sure there'd be bruises covering his skin the next morning, marks to match the ones Zayn was sucking into his neck, and on that thought he shook apart completely, losing it on one great shuddering exhale, hair pulling hard against Harry's hand as he pressed the side of his face into the pillow. 

Even once the four of them had stopped holding him down, he continued to lie there immobile, completely still save for the thunderous intake of each breath and a few involuntary tremors through his limbs. He didn't want to move at all, couldn't imagine why it would ever be worth it again. 

He did want to see, however, wanted to see the lads' faces and how they all were. So with an effort he turned his face back up and opened his eyes, not at all sure what he would find. 

It was Harry's face that caught his attention first, his lips twisted up in that half-smile Liam loved. He smiled back, or tried to at least, but his face must have looked goofy or something because Harry grinned full out in response. 

"Wanted to show you something now you're not all tied up with other things," Harry said, and Liam tried to decide if that counted as a pun or not. From Louis's groan off to his left, it seemed it did. Harry squirmed around until he was on his back next to Liam, holding up the back of the camera for Liam to see. "Take a look."

Liam did, his eyes working a bit to focus on the small display. When he finally figured out what he was looking at, he took a sharp breath inward, belly a little squirmy.

The first shot was a close up of his hands and wrists, black rope twisted around them, his fingers relaxed and curled around each other. Harry clicked through the pictures one by one, images of Liam in various stages of the process, sometimes Louis's or Niall's hands in the frame as well, the care and focus in each of their movements as clear as if it were film and not still images. 

It was the shot of him in profile that really shocked him, his head bent down, muscles in high relief against the knots and coils of the rope. Something like muscle memory flowed through him, the sense of calm and release that just looking at the picture inspired in him. 

He reached out one finger and brushed it over where a chevron was showing above the rope, unmistakably his tattoo. "Yeah, that's why all of these are getting deleted once you've got your fill," Harry said. Liam nodded; there was trusting that Harry would be responsible with his camera and computer, and then there was being stupid. The last thing he needed was a picture like this floating around the internet. 

Harry kept the camera up as he went through the pictures one by one, deleting them until they were looking at a picture he had taken backstage at a show the night before. Liam turned to the side once he was done, looking over at where the other three were all piled up together. 

"That was a pretty good first attempt," Liam said, trying for a flippant tone.

Louis was always better at that than Liam could ever be. "Yeah, next time maybe I'll blow you while you're still tied up."

Liam had learned a lot in three years, though. "Or maybe I could blow all of you instead."

Louis started but quickly tried to pretend he hadn't, Zayn looked smugly unsurprised, and Niall mimed a blowjob with his tongue in his cheek a few times and leered at Liam. Harry simply cupped Liam's still-limp dick. 

"Practice makes perfect, after all," Harry said softly in his ear, and who was Liam to argue.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> [livejournal](http://mistresscurvy.livejournal.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/mistresscurvy) | [tumblr](http://mistresscurvy.tumblr.com/)


End file.
